Trent to the Bernabéu: will, and should it happen?

Jude Bellingham has been secretly acting as an agent for his club on international duty. Is Trent really what Real Madrid need though?

Things are starting to line up perfectly; now that Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal has been sidelined with a season-ending injury, reports are coming out of the England international camp that Jude Bellingham’s bromance with Trent Alexander-Arnold has convinced the Liverpool academy graduate to jump ship.

According to The Independent, people ‘around the squad’ have been talking about the friendship between Jude and Trent. Alexander-Arnold has entered his final year at Anfield, and his friendship with Los Blancos’ No.5 could end up ‘swinging’ his contract talks.

While it was uncertain where Jude would end up, Liverpool fans had felt as though Bellingham would end up in Merseyside last summer. Trent played his part in that, but in the end, the former Borussia Dortmund man could not resist the lure of Real Madrid, which is seemingly an effect that Trent is experiencing as we speak.

The LaLiga champions have been cautious in the transfer market over the past few transfer windows, with only a handful of arrivals coming in for the most part. Next summer is shaping up to be somewhat larger for Los Blancos, with many positions needing addressing, particularly the right-back position.

The injury to Dani Carvajal, who will be 33 next year when he returns from injury, and the age of Lucas Vazquez, also 33, have forced Los Blancos to look at this area of the pitch more extensively.

Carvajal’s longevity in the side suggests that Real Madrid will likely want to sign someone of a similar profile, which is where the question mark appears over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s name.

Generally, Real Madrid’s offence concentrates on the opposite flank, leaving Carvajal with more defensive responsibilities. A capable defender out wide, the Leganense has also dropped inside to form a back three with his centre-back colleagues when required.

Going forward, his crossing has been an asset to his side. His 31 chances created from crosses over the past five LaLiga seasons is the most in the Real Madrid squad, only behind Fran García’s 36.

Everyone knows Trent for his passing range, which alongside his profile and contractual situation, makes the Englishman the most attractive option on paper. However, he has always been a defender who likes to invert and come centrally to assist the flow of the transition, which led to Gareth Southgate using Arnold in midfield during the recent European Championships.

Arne Slot’s arrival in Liverpool this season has seen Trent take up a more orthodox fullback position, meaning his overall touches and long-pass attempts have fallen, and a higher percentage of his involvement coming in the defensive and midfield thirds.

Additionally, Slot’s willingness to adopt a defensive setup has meant Alexander-Arnold has been placed in more one-on-one situations, which has famously been on the weaker end of Trent’s skillset.

The other options that Real Madrid have been looking at are Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, who both offer somewhat different skills to that of Alexander-Arnold.

The Dutchman essentially plays as a de-facto right-winger in Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, offering a more offensive style than Carvajal. However, more in line with the Spaniard, Frimpong spends most of his time out on the touchline, which opposes Trent’s natural tendency of coming inside.

If he were to move to the Spanish capital, Frimpong would likely have a more defensive responsibility and reduced attacking impact, given the team’s established preference for the left flank, which means a shift in playstyle. Either way, it’s an investment for the future, as Frimpong is only 23.

Pedro Porro is another high-profile option for Real Madrid, who already has a wealth of experience in Spanish football with Girona and Real Valladolid. Porro has always operated high up the pitch, having played as a right wing-back for Sporting and as an inverting right-back under Ange Postecoglou at Spurs.

Like Trent, Porro excels in providing crosses in the offensive third of the pitch, but he struggles with preventing them at the other end. His weaknesses have been in transitional defending, especially in dealing with opponents’ underlaps and overlaps.

Another problem is that Porro is contracted to the North London club until 2028, and even if Real Madrid wanted to definitively pursue Porro, Daniel Levy is renowned as a tough negotiator.

This will prove to be a difficult decision to make for Real Madrid, as each player has skills that are intricately combined within a strict Venn diagram.

Trent is the ‘galáctico’ signing that fans would get excited about, and possibly the easiest to attain due to his relationship with Bellingham and his contract ending at Liverpool this summer. However, in getting Trent, you sacrifice defensive aptitude for one of the best passing ranges in modern football.

Porro offers a similar profile, but he is less attainable due to the Spaniard’s contractual situation. Frimpong’s skillset might be wasted playing as a right-back in Real Madrid’s system too, as the offence is mainly pushed down the left-hand side. What do you think? Are there better options elsewhere? Let us know.